1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to can opening devices and more particularly relates to a new and improved opener apparatus for containers of the type having a lid intended to be separable from the base of the can by manipulation of a pull-ring attached to the lid.
Pull ring-type opening tabs are found on a variety of canned goods including soft drinks, other beverages, cat and dog food, nuts, canned meat, powdered milk, and fruit cups to name just a few. These types of cans require that the closure be opened by pulling the tab ring in an upward direction, thereby separating the container lid from the can. Continued pulling of the ring in the direction along the tear line, causes the container lid to be completely removed from the can.
The problem occurs because many persons including children, older people, and people who may have certain physical limitations; may find it difficult to open these containers without a mechanical advantage. Secondly, because the can tops and container lids are very sharp; persons run the risk of receiving a cut on the fingers and hands or breaking finger nails when opening these containers. Thus the need for a new and improved opener to provide a mechanical advantage to the user while at the same time providing a tool which will greatly reduce the risk of being cut and scraped. Many such devices designed to open such containers are found, in large part, among the following patent classes: 81/3.55, 3.09, 3.07, and 3.45.
2. Prior Art
Pop-top beverage containers such as those containing beer or soft-drinks, have lid portions with a small oval or round area that is opened to dispense the liquid contents of the container. Various devices have been suggested to assist in opening such containers including the devices shown in these following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,030 issued May 4, 1976 (Newton); U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,228 issued Jan. 9, 1979 (DePooter); U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,167 issued Jul. 5, 1983 (Bergmeister); U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,171 issued Nov. 22, 1983 (Chmela et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,829 issued May 24, 1988 (VanHoutte et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,038 issued Mar. 27, 1990 (Ferrin); U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,622 issued Nov. 6, 1990 (Phillips).
The above referenced patents were designed to assist in the opening of cans where the opening tab was manufactured in the center of the can top. Further, these devices are meant to assist the user in pushing the opening tab into the can or pushing the tab upward and away from the container opening. Third, these designs do not lend themselves easily to the opening of containers where the pull-ring is located adjacent to the edge of the can for the purpose of removing the entire container lid.
There is yet another can design in which a pull-ring or tab is riveted to the lid of the can adjacent to the edge of the can. Patents directed to devices to open these types of containers are relevant to our invention and include: U.S. Pat. No. 1,368,038 issued Feb. 8, 1921 (Larsen); U.S. Pat. No. 2,656,065 issued Oct. 20, 1953 (Breeze); U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,626 issued Dec. 30, 1980 (Hall); U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,409 issued May 28, 1991 (Bittel); U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,777 issued Mar. 17, 1992 (Osmar et al); U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,194 issued Apr. 27, 1993 (Rodey); U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,083 issued Jan. 11, 1994 (Madonia); U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,794 issued May 10, 1994 (Kelly); U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,567 issued Feb. 21, 1995 (Martorell); U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,778 issued Sep. 17, 1996 (Otters et al).
Some of the devices referenced by the artwork in the immediate foregoing list of patents have certain inherent disadvantages. The devices described in the prior art that utilize an external hook to grab the pull-ring and effect the raising and subsequent tearing of the container lid; run the risk of having the container lid being flipped or catapulted off the tool. This is especially apparant at the moment the container lid finally separates from the container top. This is due to the fact that the metal of the container lid has a memory and tries to spring the lid back to its flattened shape. Therefore, this action may put the user at some risk for injury. Secondly, some of the devices are designed to use only the center of the container lid or only one side of the container rim as the fulcrum point. Hence, these devices may be lacking in stability and lacking in ability to provide the best leverage for the user. Further, a few of the devices described in the art of the above referenced patents are flat and unidimentional in shape and do not lend themselves to a continuous rolling motion across the rim of the containers to effect lid separation.
In the summary below, we will point out how the present invention overcomes the disadvantages described by the prior art as well as listing the objectives of this new and improved opener device.